How to Celebrate National Park Week

This Saturday, April 21 officially kicks off National Park Week, and the National Park Service is celebrating with free admission to all its serviced sites and parks—even the 118 that normally charge entrance fees. Now’s the time to take that long-awaited trip to the Grand Canyon, or check climbing Yosemite’s El Capitan off your #travelgoals wishlist. After all, Earth Day is also this weekend, so get in the spirit and get outside. If you need inspiration, we’ve rounded up a list of 10 parks you should visit while the fees are waived—our editors’ favorite picks, recommendations from a national parks travel specialist, and some off-the-beaten path destinations you might not expect. So, what are you waiting for?

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, California

"When I think of a vintage 'Greetings from California!' postcard, I imagine two settings: a Beach Boys-esque surf scene, or a snapshot of a road-trip through the California redwoods. In the latter, chances are General Sherman is featured—the largest tree in the world—which remains standing in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park. The park is home to about 40 different groves of colossal redwoods, each with up to tens of thousands of individual trees, which you can easily spend days hiking around. Or, if you're short on time, you can simply drive through the park and catch the highlights in just a couple hours. Entrance to Sequoia and King's Canyon is usually $20 per car.”—Megan Spurrell, Community Editor

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Yosemite National Park, California

“A trip to Yosemite is the quintessential national park experience in California (there's a reason Yosemite's scenery is immortalized on most default backgrounds and screen-savers). You can rent a bike and cycle among the redwoods, test your limits by scaling Half Dome (no matter what level you are, there's a guide that will help get you there), and camp under the towering face of El Capitan. Yosemite has one of the highest National Park entrance fees at $30 per vehicle, so a free pass is worth trekking out for.”—M.S

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Big Bend National Park, Texas

“The general assumption about Texas is that’s it’s big and flat. The big part is right. But the flat part couldn’t be more wrong, especially in Big Bend. The Window Trail is no secret but it offers the best views of Texas’s mountains (yes, mountains). You’ll end up wedged between two cliff faces, overlooking the whole valley, and its best experienced at sunset. The trail is about six miles long round-trip and starts at the Chisos Basin Trailhead. Just know that the return hike is mostly uphill!”—Meredith Carey, Assistant Digital Editor

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Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado

“Rock climbers dream of the chance to scale this national park’s picturesque Painted Wall and North Chasm View Wall, both rising over 2,000 feet. For the less-extreme traveler, visits to this central Colorado preserve are a great chance to feel peace in nature, seeing as it gets fewer than 200,000 visitors annually,” writes Traveler Contributor Kelsy Chauvin. Read her full story here.

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Olympic National Park, Washington

“I love driving out to Olympic National Park, the Olympic mountains off in the distance. Stop at Hurricane Ridge on the way for the views, a swim at Lake Crescent (and an overnight if you can manage), and on to hike the Ozette Loop: three miles through the forest, then three miles on the beach (where you might spy the remains of a whale! I did), and three miles back in.”—Laura Dannen Redman, Deputy Digital Director

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Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota

“I come from a family of proud North Dakotans, and though I grew up overseas, summers in the U.S. were filled with trips to family farms and the Great Plains. It's an incredibly beautiful state, and one of the best places to see that beauty is the 110-square-mile Theodore Roosevelt National Park, which sits at the intersection of where those Great Plains meet the Badlands in western North Dakota. The park is known for its bison, elk, and prairie dogs—drive the 36-mile Scenic Loop Drive and you're pretty much guaranteed to see them. Don't miss the Painted Canyon overlook, either.”—Katherine LaGrave, Senior Digital Editor

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Everglades National Park, Florida

“Just 40 miles east of the glitz and glamour of Miami, Everglades National Park is the largest area of tropical wilderness in the U.S., comprising an intricate network of wetlands and forests frequented by manatees, panthers, more than 350 species of birds, and—yep—the American crocodile. Book a tour, or better yet, rent a two-wheeler from the welcome center at Shark Valley, the entrance point to the park, and pedal the 15-mile bike loop. Just be prepared to stop at the multiple gator crossings.”—K.L.G

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Capitol Reef National Park, Utah

According to Marty Behr, founder & chief development officer of Revealed America (and one of Traveler's trusted national parks specialists), Capitol Reef National Park is the least well-known of Utah's "Big Five" (the others are Zion, Bryce, Arches, and Canyonland National Parks). The highly underrated park offers travelers "a historic Mormon settlement, Native American petroglyphs, and hikes." You'll even be able to see bison.

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Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

Behr says the weather at Grand Canyon’s South Rim will be unusually warm for the next week—in the 70s and 80s—and it won’t be crowded. You can book a private tour with a National Parks Revealed guide, or strike out on your own and take in the incredible views.

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Acadia National Park, Maine

With beaches, lakes, mountains, and forests, Acadia National Park should definitely be on your itinerary. Although the weather will still be cool, Behr says spring is a good time to go, as you’ll avoid the crowds and have the trails to yourself. Plus, you can take a break from hiking and head to one of the nearby coastal towns, like Bar Harbor, for a quick bite.